2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

BACKING UP OUT OF DRIVEWAY PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE WENT FROM BRAKE PEDAL TO GAS PEDAL TAPING THE GAS PEDAL LIGHTLY TO INCH OUT OF DRIVEWAY SLOWLY. AFTER ONE TAP ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR ACCELERATED AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED CAUSING DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL. VEHICLE CRASHED INTO CHAIN LINK FENCE WHICH IN TURN CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. *TR

THERE ARE 2 MALFUNCTIONS HAPPENING ON THIS VEHICLE:1) THE DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE STOP WORKING WITH KEYLESS ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO, IT WORKS IF YOU DO IT MANUALLY. 2) BOTH VISORS-DRIVER'S AND PASSENGERS VISOR HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY LOOSER, THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMENT SCREWS, WHAT MAKES THIS SUCH A HAZARD, IF YOU HIT A BUMP AND YOU'RE IN SPEEDING TRAFFIC SOMETIMES THE VISOR JUST DROPS DOWN AND BLOCKS YOUR LINE OF SIGHT. *TR

TRAVELING AT APPROX 35MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING DECELERATED RAPIDLY TO ZERO MPH AND A LOUD GEAR - LIKE CRUNCHING AND GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY MOVE AT 1 MPH TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND WAS TOTALLY DISABLED. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. MECHANICS CONCLUDED THE FRONT DRIVE DIFFERENTIAL SUFFERED A MAJOR FAILURE AND THEN RUINED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *JS

SEAT BELT ON FRONT DRIVERS SEAT CONTINUES TO FOLD OVER, AND WILL NOT RETRACT. *TR

MY CAR WAS DECELERATING IN THE FAR RIGHT TURN LANE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. THE BRAKE HAD BEEN APPLIED APPROXIMATELY 1000 FT FROM THE INTERSECTION AS THERE WERE 3 VEHICLES STOPPED AHEAD OF ME. I WAS TRAVELING AT 10 MPH AND I INCREASED THE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AS THE CAR APPROACHED A STOPPED VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AHEAD OF MY VEHICLE. THE ENGINE REVVED TO THE HIGHEST RPM READING AND LURCHED FORWARD AS I CONTINUED TO APPLY FULL PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL BY ADDING MY LEFT FOOT TO THE ALREADY STATIONARY RIGHT FOOT. I STEERED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT AND DROVE ON THE SIDEWALK AND GRASS BETWEEN A BURGER KING AND AUTOZONE PARKING LOTS TO AVOID HITTING THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME. I SHIFTED THE GEAR SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT DISENGAGE. I WAS NEARLY STANDING ON BRAKE AS THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITH THE ENGINE SCREAMING FROM THE HIGH RPMS. I STRAIGHTENED THE CAR'S PATH TO AVOID A PARKED VEHICLE IN THE AUTOZONE PARKING LOT. I JUMPED A CURB ONTO GRASS AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL CRASHING THROUGH A CINDER BLOCK WALL SUPPORTING THE AUTOZONE SIGN. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT WHICH ENGAGED THE ENGINE KILL SWITCH. WHILE STILL STANDING ON THE BRAKES, MY CAR TRAVELED ANOTHER 25-30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE DRIVER BEHIND ME CAN CONFIRM THAT I WAS DECELERATING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON AS THE CAR "TOOK OFF" ON ITS PATH TOWARD THE AUTOZONE SIGN. THE CAR WAS TOTALED AND I RECEIVED NECK, SHOULDER AND CHEST INJURIES FROM THE IMPACT. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR ON MY OWN. *TR

BOTH POWER REAR WINDOWS CAME OUT OF THEIR PWR WINDOW TRACKS. THIS ALLOWS THE WINDOW TO FALL TO THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT CAUSED SEVERE AIR BUFFETING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT'S SO SEVERE THAT IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS VIBRATING APART. THIS EXTREMELY LOUD PAINFUL SOUND CAUSES PANIC AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AND SEVER EAR PAIN. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE BUFFETING IS TO QUICKLY PULL OFF THE ROAD AND STOP. THE OPEN WINDOW ALSO EXPOSED OCCUPANTS AND PETS IN THE REAR SEAT AREA TO FALLING OUT. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT AS THE TRACK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW THAT CONNECTS TO THE POWER WINDOW MOTOR ARM MIGRATES SLOWLY ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDOW EACH TIME THE WINDOW IS OPERATED UNTIL THE MOTOR ARM FALLS OUT OF THE TRACK. THEN THE WINDOW IS FREE TO FALL DOWN AND CANNOT BE CLOSED UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN COVERING THIS. I RECEIVED A CHUCKLE FROM THE DEALER AS HE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS COMMON $250 PER WINDOW FIX. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FALLS DOWN, WON'T STAY UP, AND OBSTRUCTS VIEW WHILE DRIVING. *TR

AS NOTED ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES FROM USERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS I AM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE; THE REAR PASSENGER BRAKELIGHT IS FAULTY. IT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN PRESSED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. DEALER HAS BEEN NO HELP UNLESS I GIVE THEM EVERY PENNY I HAVE TO MY NAME OF COURSE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I AM NOT EXPERIENCING ALONE. PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR ASSISTANCE NEEDED ON PULLING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. PLEASE AND THANK YOU. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED ON MY TOYOTA 2005 HIGHLANDER AFTER 96,000 MILES. I HAVE READ OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND I AM CONVINCED THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID TRANSMISSION. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA AND THEY ADVISED ME TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WOULD COST $5060,00 TO REPLACE. TOYOTA OFFERED ME .10% OFF THE COST OF REPAIRS. I WAS SHOCKED AS I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 15 MONTHS AND HAVE A 4 YEAR NOTE. I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT HAVE A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AS I WAS COMING DOWN A VERY STEEP INCLINE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL. I AM FORCED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AS I AM NOT IN THE POSITION TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE FURTHER. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2005 TOYOTA WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE FRONT ENGINE HOOD AREA. THERE WERE NO TROUBLE LIGHTS SHOWING FOR THE ENGINE AT THE TIME, NOR WAS THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWING A HIGH TEMPERATURE. SHE PULLED OVER AND FOUND THE GRILL AREA AND FRONT ENGINE HOOD WERE MELTING AND SCORTCHED. SHE CALLED POLICE / FIRE TO RESPOND TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE FRONT HOOD, SINCE IT APPEARED THAT THE RELEASE CABLE HAD MELTED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT. THEY BENT THE HOOD UP TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE FIRE, AND THEN EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY. *TR